At Her Majesty's Service
by kymbersmith90
Summary: The annual Christmas party held at Kensington Palace for the children of deployed RAF personnel has always been the highlight of Emma's festive season. But this year, a chance encounter with someone very special results in her throwing an impromptu party later that week, at RAF Akrotiri.
1. Prologue

**As it's my birthday, I wanted to share a gift with you all - but this week has kept me so busy that I wasn't able to prepare everything the way I had intended to. So instead, here's an advanced preview of something new I've been working on. There are already 10 chapters for this story, so if you guys think you can handle another royal AU, I'm happy to work it into my rotation. If not, consider this an advanced preview of what's to come. **

**All my thanks go to resident-of-storybrooke and forget-me-not-s for their encouragement on this piece. **

* * *

Emma sighed as she slid her glasses up her forehead and relaxed back into her seat.

There were less than three weeks until Christmas and the pile of documents on her desk demanding her attention, before she travelled up to Norfolk for the holiday season, just seemed to keep growing.

"Leroy," she called out, knowing that he would hear her in his own office, without the need for unnecessary phone calls.

He didn't disappoint her. The slightly stout, severe-looking balding man appeared instantly in the doorway, almost as if he'd been expecting her summons. But before he could squeeze a word out, Emma asked, "What's left on the calendar for this month?"

Leroy looked a little flustered by the question, as he'd clearly not been expecting it, but quickly pulled out his ever-present iPad and loaded the calendar on it. "There are only a handful of engagements left, Your Majesty. A few audiences with politicians and charity chairmen over the next two weeks, and then the annual children's party for the service men and women deployed over the holiday season."

Emma relaxed a little at Leroy's words. The pile of work on her desk would be much easier to get through without dozens of engagements to balance along with it. And the one that she had left was always her favourite of the year.

"Can you speak with my team and make sure they have some outfits prepared for me to browse through before the party?" she asked, as she slipped her glasses back down onto her face and turned her attention to the pieces of paper in front of her.

"Of course, Your Majesty. They'll be ready by the end of the week."

"Excellent. Finish what you're doing here and take off for the night," she instructed. It was getting late, and there was no point in both of them being up half the night when only one of them was really doing anything of any substance.

"Are you sure, Your Majesty? I don't mind staying."

"Of course," Emma assured him, as she flicked her glance back up to where Leroy was lingering in the doorway once more, to offer him a small smile. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Don't rush in. You've been here late all week."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Leroy turned to leave but hesitated just outside of the entrance to his own office. "Don't work too late," he called back.

But his Queen was already lost in the next document on her pile that she needed to read and sign. Just as she had been every night that week, and the one that had come before it.

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **


	2. Chapter 1

"Okay, I need you to make sure that an appointment with the Prime Minister is arranged before the end of the year," Emma instructed, as she smoothed a hand down over the fabric of her dress. "I haven't seen him in a while, and I'm starting to think he might be avoiding me. I don't like being avoided, Leroy," she pointed out, as she whirled on her rather harried looking assistant.

"Yes, Ma'am," he declared, jotting a note down into one of the leather-bound books he always had at hand. "Will you be needing anything else when you return?"

"Dinner. I haven't placed a shopping order yet so someone will need to do that for me and collect it too. Oh, and the charging cable for my laptop is fried. I'll need a new one of those before it dies completely."

"Yes, Ma'am." Leroy made a few more notes in his book before he asked, "Will that be everything, Ma'am?"

While he had been busy staring down at the messy page of scribbles he'd made, Emma had disappeared from his line of sight, but she returned quickly enough with what appeared to be two pairs of shoes and a pair of boots in her arms.

"Which of these do you prefer with this dress?" she asked, holding up each in turn.

Leroy floundered for a minute. In his time spent as Queen Emma's personal assistant, she'd made plenty of requests of him. Everything from the food she was craving in the middle of the night, to the people she needed to speak with first thing in the morning. But she'd never once asked him for his advice on her footwear before.

"Um… maybe the black ones?" he suggested. They seemed more practical for a children's party than the baby pink, leather heels she had in her left hand, but looked more professional than the boots she had at her feet.

"You're absolutely right," Emma agreed, as she dropped down into a chair to begin slipping them on. Leroy turned himself ever-so-slightly so that he wouldn't catch a glimpse of anything inappropriate, but he made sure not to turn his back on his Queen.

When she rose elegantly to her feet once more she headed straight for the door to her private rooms, calling over her shoulder, "Are you coming?" as she did.

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

The drive to Kensington Palace was a tense one for Emma. Leroy always joined her on the journey, along with her usual team of security guards, which often left the car deadly silent. And Emma hated silence. Silence usually followed bad news, and she'd been given plenty of that to last a lifetime.

"Turn the radio on," she instructed, knowing that whoever was closest would jump to fulfil her wishes. It wasn't quite the same as having a real conversation with someone who was genuinely interested in her, but the soft music and the banter of the presenters were enough to take the edge off her anxiety, as the black Range Rover pulled ever closer to their destination.

The party she was on her way to was always the highlight of Emma's calendar. Every year, the children of deployed troops were invited to the Palace for a huge party. Emma knew that it wouldn't make up for the fact that those little boys and girls would be waking up on Christmas morning without their mother or father at home, but she enjoyed seeing the smile it put on their faces, while they were kept busy with dancing and games. And it allowed her to interact with some of her people.

Emma had learned very quickly just how isolating life as a royal could be, but it wasn't until her grandfather had passed, leaving her as his heir to the throne, that she realized just how lonely her life would be. While Emma was constantly surrounded by aides; and security services; and assistants; and staff, there was nobody in her life that she could have a genuine conversation with, unless she was out on engagements.

"We're here, Your Majesty."

Emma pulled her mind away from her wandering thoughts and took a moment to fix on her photo-worthy smile before one of her security team pulled open the door to the car for her. She usually entered the Palace through one of the backdoors, but she'd been a working royal for long enough to know that there was always _someone _lurking around with a camera in hand, waiting for their money shot.

As soon as she was safely inside of the building, and had handed her bag off to Leroy, she could hear the noise coming from one of the large reception rooms. The kids always managed to bring so much joy and laughter to the usually quiet and solemn royal residences. It was part of the reason why she enjoyed this particular engagement so much.

"Hi, Guys," she greeted, as she stepped through the doorway and into the large space that had been transformed with streamers and balloons in traditional shades of red, green and gold. "Merry Christmas!"

Emma watched with delight as a large group of children flew her way, while their parents, guardians and the team of staff around them watched on in horror.

This was exactly why she enjoyed the children's Christmas party so much. Kids never cared that there was a protocol to be respected when she was around. Sure, most of them knew she was their Queen, and they knew that was a fairly big deal. But they didn't call her "Ma'am," or bow or curtsey to her every time she greeted them. They didn't keep a respectful distance and they didn't make polite, inane small talk. They treated her as close to normally as things got for Emma. And she loved that about them.

"Aww, it's so good to see you all too," she chuckled, as she opened her arms a little wider around the impromptu group hug that had formed. "How many of you guys have I seen before?" she asked, as she dropped down to a crouch when they finally pulled back.

A quick scan of their faces told Emma that at least a dozen of the children had been to one of their Christmas parties before. Which meant that it wasn't their first holiday season without someone they loved to hug on Christmas morning. But Emma knew that kids grew and changed so quickly when they were young, so there was a good chance that she'd met more of them in her time as Queen.

"How about we go and sit down and have some pizza, and then you guys can all introduce yourselves?" she suggested.

A chorus of yesses rang out through the space as she rose gracefully back to her full height. Being crouched down in heels for that long was not as easy as it used to be when she'd been a teenager.

* * *

**Emma's look for the Christmas party is based on Jen's look for FACTs convention in September 2018 and Montreal Comic-Con July 2018. (Fun fact, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark also owns this dress!) **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **


	3. Chapter 2

Emma was about an hour into the party when she decided to abandon the picture she'd been painting and make her way around the room. Most of the kids in attendance had stopped by the table she'd been sat at for most of the afternoon to say hi to their Queen, but she'd noticed a few hanging back. And Emma always tried her hardest to make sure she gave her time to everyone that turned out to see her, even if it was just to say a quick hello. After all, her job was to serve the people of her country.

So after politely excusing herself and promising that she'd return to finish her painting, she stood up and made her way around the edges of the large space.

Most of the parents and guardians had hung back, lingering in small groups against the walls instead of actively coming forward to interact with her. But Emma was used to that. Kids didn't seem to have the same kind of doubts and fears as their elders did.

"Good afternoon," she offered, along with a polite smile, as she made her way towards the first group of people she saw. "It's so good to see you here today. Do you mind if I ask your names?"

A couple of the women's jaws dropped with their surprise, but an elderly gentleman in the middle of the group quickly stepped forward, offering his Queen a bow as he said, "Former Staff Sergeant Andrews, Your Majesty."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sergeant Andrews. Thank you for your service. Are you here with anyone today?"

"My grandson," he chuckled, pointing in the direction of a ginger-haired little boy who was tucking into some pizza with the new friends he had made that morning. Emma was pretty sure the kid had introduced himself to her as Toby, earlier that day. "His mother's pregnant and she wasn't feeling up to the journey here, so I offered to bring him along."

"I can understand that. Please send my best wishes back to her, will you?"

"She'll be thrilled to hear that, Ma'am," Sergeant Andrews told her, before he gripped the hand that she'd held out to him in silent offering and gave it a firm shake.

Emma then turned her attention to the others in the group, who seemed a little bolder now that she'd spoken so normally with one of their own.

* * *

It took her a while to make her way around the rest of the people in the room. Emma would stop and bend down to greet the children too scared to make the first move before she straightened up again to speak with their family members. But she didn't mind. It was perhaps the best conversation she'd had all month, and she'd gotten more hugs already that day than she had all year.

Eventually, her human needs made themselves known and Emma quietly slipped from the room as the magician they'd hired for the party made his way onto the stage. She nodded a greeting at each of the agents she passed as she made her way through the familiar corridors towards one of the private bathrooms in the Palace. But when she twisted the knob to open the door, it wouldn't budge.

Emma frowned a little at it in confusion.

The staff _never _used that bathroom. It wasn't proper. And as much as Emma protested that she didn't care who used what restroom, they wouldn't hear her objections. So that really only left one possible reason for its occupation. After all, it wouldn't be the first time a couple had tried sneaking away at a public opening to have sex inside the palace.

Emma's suspicions were all but confirmed when she heard a muffled voice from inside the room call out, "Hurry up, Oliver. We're going to get in trouble."

She fixed her most stern look on her face and positioned herself against the wall across from the locked door while she waited for the couple to finish. At least this way she could have a little fun, and probably give them both an afternoon they would never forget.

But when the lock finally clicked and the door was pulled open, Emma wasn't expecting the sight that greeted her.

"Come on Ollie we need… oh my God. Your Majesty, I am… I am so sorry," a young blonde stuttered out. "The uh… the bathrooms were all full. And Ollie really needed to go. One of your men said that we could use this one. I didn't…"

Emma held up her hand to halt the other woman's words and then offered her a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay," she told her. "Even Queens have to use the bathroom. I just wasn't expecting anyone to be this far down."

She then turned her attention to the wide eyes of the little boy hiding behind his mother's legs. Emma dropped back down into a crouch to meet his eyes, fanning her skirt out around her knees as she introduced herself. "Hi there. I'm Emma. You must be Ollie?"

The little boy nodded his head but didn't seem inclined to step forward.

"Sorry," his mother apologised. "He's really shy. And he's missing his dad."

"Of course he is," Emma affirmed. "I imagine that you are too."

The blonde woman flicked her eyes down to the little boy and then over to the Queen still crouched awkwardly on the floor before the meaning of the other woman's words finally hit her. "Oh… oh no! I'm not… I'm his aunt," she clarified. "His dad's a single father."

"I'm so sorry. That was rude of me to assume."

"It's fine," she chuckled. "We get it a lot, don't we, Ollie?"

Ollie nodded his agreement as he wrapped his fingers around his aunt's hand and took a small step out from her shadow. Emma took that as a sign of progress.

"My partner and his father are brothers. Both RAF men too. So it's just the two of us at the moment."

"Will it be just the two of you for the holidays?" Emma pushed herself back up to her full height as her legs began to protest, but she made no move to leave.

"Yeah. My parents were killed in a boating accident when I was a teenager, and Killian and Liam's mother died when they were little. The guys haven't seen their father for decades. So it's just us, isn't it, Ollie?"

Ollie nodded his head in agreement but his face seemed to crumple a little at the thought of a Christmas alone with his aunt.

"It's his first without his dad," she whispered, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sure your dad wishes he could be at home with you," Emma offered.

"He won't get my present on time."

The Queen's eyes flashed back down to meet Ollie's just as his started to fill with tears, and she felt the moisture begin to gather in her own at the sight of them. The little boy stood in front of her was far too precious to be so upset.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **


	4. Chapter 3

"Oh, Honey," Emma soothed, reaching out to give his little arm a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure your dad won't mind. He knows that you love him, and that's the very best gift you could possibly give to him."

Ollie didn't seem too convinced but he nodded his head as he buried it against his aunt's leg.

Emma hated feeling like there wasn't anything else she could do to reassure the little boy. She was a Queen, and she had rarely felt helpless in her lifetime. Emma could usually make anything she wanted happen, whenever she wanted it. Which left her wondering if she could somehow make _this _happen for Ollie.

"Where's his dad stationed?" she asked the other woman, as an idea began to form in the back of her mind. If Ollie's father was based in Europe, she could get the gift to him before the holiday season was over.

"Cyprus."

That was definitely doable. Emma had never been before, but she was pretty sure that it would only take a few hours to get there and back again. She could leave early in the morning and come back to London the same evening. Leroy would be pissed at having to push back all of her appointments, but it wasn't anything that he hadn't done for her before.

"Okay. What would you say if I told you that I could get your gifts to your daddy before the holidays?" she asked.

Ollie's little head shot up to meet her eyes at Emma's words. "Really?"

"Yeah. I'm due a visit out that way and I don't have much going on for the rest of the month," she fibbed. "So if you wanted to, we could make some cards and maybe some gifts for your daddy and his friends? Then I can talk to my team and we'll sort out a day to take them all to him before Christmas. I could even ask Leroy to head up to the office and grab a camera so that we can record some video messages to pass along too," she suggested, as the ideas came rushing thick and fast. "How does that sound?"

Ollie didn't offer a verbal response. Instead, he threw himself at the Queen, wrapping his arms tightly around her legs. Emma rocked back on her heels at the impact before enfolding the little boy in her arms for a brief hug.

"Before we do that, I really need to use the bathroom," she stage whispered, and both Ollie and his aunt chuckled a little at it. "Head back to the party and get something to eat. I'll make sure that everyone is briefed on what we're doing next."

"Thank you, Queen Emma. You're the bestest."

Emma had never been called the 'bestest' anything before, but she found she liked the title far more than any other she'd been given in her lifetime.

* * *

"But Your Majesty…"

"Let me see the schedule for the rest of this month?" Emma demanded, as she held out her hand expectantly. Leroy had been every bit as annoyed by her proposed change of plans as she'd anticipated. But it was December, and Emma knew they deliberately kept the month light on engagements. If there was ever a time to make an unexpected trip to Europe, this was it.

Leroy fiddled with his tablet for a moment before reluctantly handing it over to his Queen. It didn't take Emma long to find the perfect day to travel.

"Here. I'll go on Thursday."

"But you have a meeting with the Prime Minister and three conference calls scheduled for that day."

"The Prime Minister can wait. Lord knows he's kept me waiting long enough throughout his term in office. And as for the calls, I'm pretty sure the connection will work just as well in Cyprus as it will here in the UK," she replied, handing the device back to him. "Make all of the necessary arrangements, Leroy."

Emma's tone made it clear that she wasn't willing to debate the matter any further, so with a barely-concealed sigh, Leroy offered his usual, "Yes, Your Majesty," before leaving to do just that.

By the time Emma returned to the party the kids were already gathered around three large tables, making cards for their missing parents with finger paints and marker pens. The atmosphere had seemed to change inside of the room. Parents and guardians were now helping their children and those closest to them, instead of standing awkwardly by the walls. While the kids themselves seemed to be buzzing at the thought of having their stuff taken to their parents by an _actual_ Queen, as the noise level in the room had shot up.

Spotting Ollie was easy enough. While the little boy was still not as talkative as his peers, he seemed more relaxed now that his aunt was helping him to spell out the word Christmas, and Emma was rather proud of herself for what she'd managed to achieve with her small gesture.

"How are you doing?" she asked, as she moved to stand just behind the two of them. "That is an excellent Rudolph painting. Your daddy's gonna love that."

"You really think so?" Ollie asked, turning to look up at the Queen who was smiling softly down at him.

"I know so," she promised him.

Emma's attention was briefly distracted by the other children around the table who were holding up their own creations to show her what they had painted for their mothers and fathers. She didn't want to show any blatant favoritism, so she made her way around each of them, complimenting the different festive creations they had drawn or painted. Emma was surprised to see such a large variety amongst the group. She had been sure that they'd all opt for either Santa or a snowman, but instead, there were polar bears and penguins, and Christmas trees and candy canes too. Some had carefully drawn out elves and one had even designed a nutcracker.

But when she finally made it back to Ollie's side, he had the biggest surprise of them all.

"I made one for you too," the little boy announced, as he held up a card with a big silver star on the front, topped with a little golden glitter crown. The words _Happy Christmas _had been printed along the bottom, slanting upward slightly at the end. And inside, he'd written her a small message.

_To Queen Emma, _

_Thanks for being the bestest queen ever. _

_Merry Christmas,_

_Love_

_Ollie and Elsa. _

Every year, Emma received hundreds of Christmas cards from people all over the globe that she'd never even met before. But this was, without a doubt, the 'bestest' holiday card she'd ever received.

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. **

**I'm a little behind on my replies at the moment, but I promise I'll try and get caught up soon. **


	5. Chapter 4

Emma had just finished speaking with a small group of parents who had finally worked up the courage to approach her when one of her aids pulled her aside.

"What's wrong, Aurora?"

"There's uh… a little kid is asking for you, Ma'am."

Emma turned her head to follow Aurora's gaze and smiled widely when her eyes landed on Oliver. His aunt wasn't beside him, which was a little worrying, but she pushed aside that thought to make her way over to where he was stood.

"Hey, Ollie. Have you recorded your video message for your dad yet?" she asked, as she dropped down into a crouch in front of him.

The little boy shook his head no and Emma's smile faltered.

"What's wrong? Do you not want to make him one?"

Ollie cast a furtive glance around the large ballroom before he took a small step closer to the Queen and whispered, "The big man's scary," in her ear.

Emma followed his eyes over to the quiet corner of the room that had been set up to make the video recordings. When her gaze landed on the member of her team that had been put in charge of the activity, she sighed heavily. While Tiny was a sweet guy who certainly knew his way around technology, he was also a giant of a man that looked terrifying at the best of times. It was no wonder the poor kid was scared. She was rather surprised that none of the other children had been a little put off by the six-foot-eight, three-hundred-pound man that had suddenly appeared at the party.

"Where's your aunt?" she asked, just to be sure that Oliver hadn't done something stupid like run away from his guardian.

"She had to go potty."

"Okay," Emma chuckled, because she still wasn't used to that complete lack of filter that seemed to be present in most young children. "Shall we go and wait in the hall for her, and then when she's back we can go somewhere quiet and I'll record your video for you?" she offered. Oliver's eyes brightened at the suggestion as he enthusiastically nodded his agreement. "Show me where your aunt left you. We don't wanna worry her, do we?"

"No," Ollie agreed, shaking his head forcefully.

Emma pushed herself back up to her feet and then turned her head slightly to look for Leroy. The moment their eyes connected across the room the older man rushed over, ready to see what his Queen needed. But when Oliver spotted the stranger that was practically running in their direction he panicked a little. He wrapped one arm tightly around the Queen's nearest leg as his other hand reached up to find hers.

Emma startled at the feel of the small fingers slipping into her own, but when she saw the look of fear behind Oliver's eyes she didn't hesitate to closer her hand around his, as she offered him a reassuring smile

"What can I get for you, Your Majesty?" Leroy panted, slightly out of breath from his jog.

"Can you bring me my bag please, Leroy?"

"Your bag, Ma'am? Are you ready to leave?" he asked, looking down at the schedule on his tablet. While the party was due to come to a close soon, Emma normally waited until the end of the day to make her escape. She didn't like the idea of leaving her guests to see themselves out without so much as a goodbye from their host, even if it did frustrate her security team.

"No. I just want my phone from inside of it."

"Do you uh… do you need to place a call, Ma'am?" Emma shot her assistant a look that told him she didn't appreciate the many questions he was asking, and Leroy instantly snapped into action. "I beg your pardon, Ma'am. I'll go and fetch that now for you."

"Thank you."

Ollie chuckled a little as he watched the scary man run away again, and Emma flashed him a cheeky smile at the sound of it. "Trust me, I'm the scariest person in this room," she told him.

"You're not scary," the little boy protested. "You're pretty. My daddy would like you."

Emma had to choke back the bark of laughter that was clawing its way up her throat at Oliver's words. She wasn't sure his dad would appreciate what he'd just said, but she certainly did. For some reason, a compliment that came unprompted from a four-year-old made her feel much better than the ones that came from the people she paid to dress her every morning.

"Aunt Elsa," Oliver called out, and Emma pulled her attention away from her thoughts to see a worried but familiar face frantically searching the room. When Elsa's eyes landed on Oliver at the Queen's side the tension seemed to drain from her body, and she quickly hurried through the crowd to get back to her nephew.

"What did I tell you about wandering off?" she asked, before directing her next statement up to her Queen. "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. I hope he hasn't been any trouble. He's a good boy, he's just…"

"He's fine," Emma cut her off. She didn't want Elsa to say anything that would upset her nephew when he'd done absolutely nothing wrong. "Oliver was just a little scared by the choice of videographer that my team had settled on."

The Queen mumbled the word _idiots _much quieter but Elsa still caught it, and it transformed the frown on her face into a soft smile.

"Oliver and I were talking and we think we're going to find a quieter room to record his video in. We just wanted to wait for you to get back so that you wouldn't worry about where we'd disappeared to."

"Oh, um… that's so kind of you, Your Majesty. Thank you."

"It's not a problem."

It didn't take more than a minute longer for Leroy to reappear back in Emma's line of sight, and as soon as he did, Oliver tensed again beside her.

"Your bag, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Leroy. I'll be gone for a moment while I help Ollie and Elsa here. Please make sure that the staff doesn't begin the final phase of the day while we're away." The party was coming to an end, which meant the staff would soon start winding things down. And Emma didn't want Oliver to miss the last treat they had planned for the kids, while he was busy recording his message to his father.

"Yes, Ma'am," Leroy replied firmly, even as his eyes burned with all of the questions that he was forcing himself not to ask of her.

"Shall we?" Emma invited, turning her attention back to the family at her side. She gestured towards the same door she'd entered through earlier that day and Oliver nodded his head firmly before moving straight for it. Elsa had no choice but to follow as her nephew tugged the Queen along behind him.

When she'd received a letter inviting Oliver to a party at Kensington Palace the month before, Elsa hadn't expected their special guest to be Queen Emma herself. And she certainly hadn't expected her nephew to take such a shine to a woman he barely knew. It was something she couldn't wait to tell Liam and Killian about when she next had the chance to speak with them both. It was just a shame that they weren't there to see the magic for themselves.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **


	6. Chapter 5

"Where are we going?" Oliver asked, as he jogged alongside Queen Emma who was marching her way through the halls of Kensington Palace.

"I know the perfect place to shoot your video," she told him, offering the little boy a sly smile. "But don't tell anyone else I've shown it to you."

She turned down a few more long corridors, throwing the occasional look back at Elsa to make sure the other woman was keeping up before she finally stopped in front of a set of grand double doors.

"This is the Presence Chamber. Back during the reign of King George the Second, the King would sit in here to receive guests. It's pretty empty but we do keep a chair on the Dias where a throne would have previously sat. So how do you feel about sitting there to make your video?"

"That would be _sooo _cool," Oliver gushed, turning towards his aunt, almost as if to check that she had heard what Queen Emma was offering.

Emma gave the door a solid push to get it open and then flicked on the lights inside the room. It took a moment for them to brighten to their full strength, but the instant they did she stepped aside to incline her head. While Oliver and Elsa took in the new part of the Palace they were being shown, Emma called out to one of the security guards that had followed them down the hall.

"Can you bring chairs for myself and Elsa please, Chris?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Chris offered his Queen a small bow before he turned away to speak into the small communications device he always wore. While he was distracted, Emma slipped into the room to watch the young boy and his aunt examine the bare space.

"It's so empty," Ollie murmured.

"Well, during King George's reign, it would have been too full of people to have any furniture inside of it," she explained.

"Is your throne room empty too?"

"Yes," Emma chuckled. "But there are lots of functions we hold inside of it where we can fill it with seats for people to use."

"That's good. It's rude to make people stand," he commented.

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise as she gasped out a horrified, "Oliver!"

"It's okay. He's absolutely right," the Queen agreed. "That's why we have removable chairs for it now. But I'll be sure to keep that in mind whenever I'm entertaining guests again."

A sharp rap on the door startled everyone inside the room and Oliver shifted closer to his aunt as another big scary man made his way inside. This one had a plush looking chair dangling from each of his arms, and he set them down facing the one arranged on the Dias before he bowed to his Queen and left the room.

"Right, let's get started, shall we?" Emma asked, ushering Oliver over to his spot. She had to lift the little boy to help him into his seat, but once he was in place, she dragged one of the chairs a little close and nodded for Elsa to do the same.

Emma busied herself with pulling out her phone and unlocking the device as she heard Elsa ask if Oliver knew what he wanted to say. When the little boy nodded his head emphatically, Emma raised her phone to centre him in the frame and continued fiddling with the position of her chair until she was satisfied with how he looked on her screen.

"Okay, Oliver. We'll count down from three. Ready?"

"Ready," he agreed eagerly.

"Three, two, one, go," she commanded, hitting the button to begin recording.

"Hi, Daddy." Oliver waved for the camera as he swung his little legs back and forth with his excitement. "Merry Christmas! I'm at Kenton… Kennin…"

"Kensington Palace," Emma supplied for him, as she watched his face screw up with his confusion over the name.

"Yeah. There! Aunt Elsa said the Queen invited us to a party. Jack said it was a lie but he was wrong cuz she's really here, Daddy. And she's really pretty." Oliver's eyes moved away from the small camera lenses for a moment to meet Emma's as he added, "You should say hi to my dad. I know he'd like you."

Emma and Elsa both chuckled a little at the boy's tangent but he quickly pushed on with the rest of his message for his father.

"I gots all sad cuz we made cards and gifts for you at the party, and I knew you wouldn't get them for Christmas. So Queen Emma said we could make videos for you and she'd bring them to Cyprus and give them to you. I told you she was nice, Daddy. She's the bestest Queen ever!"

For a moment, the boy smiled widely at the camera, and Emma wasn't sure she'd ever seen anything so sweet before in her life. But Ollie's smile fell suddenly as his eyes began to water, and her heart lurched at the sight of the clearly distraught child.

"I miss you, Daddy. I asked Santa for you to come home for Christmas but he said you were doing important work and couldn't. I wish you would, though."

Sensing that her nephew was on the verge of a meltdown, Elsa stepped in to remind him of what else he wanted to say, and Oliver sniffed loudly as he wiped the back of his hand over his nose. "I love you, Daddy. Come home soon."

At the sharp bob of the other woman's head, Emma stopped the video just in time for the little boy to throw himself into his aunt's arms and sob loudly.

"What if he forgets me?" he mumbled into her dress.

Emma slipped from her seat to crouch down beside them both and hesitated only briefly before she raised her hand to brush the young boy's hair back from his face. "Your daddy won't _ever _forget you," she promised. "And he'll be home before you know it. You've been such a brave, strong little man, Oliver. He's going to be really proud of you when I show him this video."

"You think?" he asked, pulling back to wipe his other hand over his wet eyes.

"I _know_ he will be."

Oliver leaned out of his aunt's embrace to hug the Queen's neck tightly while she ran a soothing hand up and down his back until his sobs quietened completely. Emma gave the little boy a moment longer just to get his composure back as she hugged him to her chest, before she attempted to lighten the mood.

"Did you hear that?"

Oliver shook his head, but Emma could tell that she had his full attention.

"I think I just head bells on the roof."

"Santa?" All hint of his earlier tears dried instantly as a look of wonder filled the little boy's eyes.

"I dunno. Shall we go and see?" Emma pushed herself up to her feet but instead of leading the way back to the party, she held out a hand in silent invitation. Oliver didn't hesitate to slide his into her grasp, and the three of them made their way back to the ballroom walking side-by-side.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **


	7. Chapter 6

"Hey, do you know what this is all about?" Killian asked, as he made his way through the crowds of people and over to where his brother was stood.

"Not a clue. I was just told someone important was coming to visit today."

"This close to Christmas? Who could be _that _important to warrant all of this fuss?"

Killian was pissed, and it definitely showed. He'd been planning to Skype home that morning and talk to Oliver before the little boy left for pre-school, but instead, he'd been woken at the crack of dawn by a call from their superior, asking for help preparing for the arrival of a special guest on base. It had left him with no other option than to fire off a quick text message to Elsa, asking her to explain the situation to Oliver when he woke. Killian knew that his son would be devastated by their abrupt change of plans, and it had left him feeling sour all day.

"How the hell should I know, Killian? They tell me just as much as they tell you," his brother fired back. "If I had to guess, the only person I could imagine warranting this kind of fuss for a last-minute visit would be someone from the royal family."

"Ugh. Seriously?"

It wasn't that Killian was against the monarchy, as such. He understood what it brought to the country and how little he actually contributed to them financially, unlike some of his colleagues. He just didn't get the fuss surrounding them at all. It wasn't as if any of the current royals had ever done anything massive to change the world, or even his daily life. So as far as he was concerned, they were just another privileged family that he couldn't really bring himself to give a shit about.

"It could be the Queen," Liam suggested, perking up a little at the thought. "She's pretty hot."

"I can't say I've ever given it a great deal of thought."

The two men fell silent as Group Captain Johnson made his way down the lines of servicemen and women waiting for further instructions. While it was only a few days before Christmas, the sun was shining brightly that December morning in Cyprus. And even though everyone had been pulled away from their regular duties to greet whoever this mysterious visitor was, Killian could sense that the weather was helping to boost the overall mood on base.

"Okay, you lot. I'm sure you're all wondering what you're doing here today," Johnson barked out, his voice carrying around the large airbase even without the use of the megaphone in his office. "You have a guest making her way here as I speak. I was notified last night that we would be receiving a surprise visit from Her Majesty, Queen Emma. She's bringing gifts with her, and you'll all have the morning off to enjoy an impromptu Christmas party. So I'll need volunteers to help turn Hanger C into a venue fit for a Queen, ASAP."

Killian wasn't surprised to see a number of his colleagues step forward to offer their help. Johnson never really made requests while he was on base, it was always just expected of the lower-ranked men and women to jump in and lend a hand when he needed it. Thankfully, as a Flight Lieutenant, Killian was able to excuse himself from party duties and return to his office for a few minutes, just to finish the paperwork that he'd started that morning. He wasn't surprised to see his brother and other higher-ranked officials doing the same. If their guest had made arrangements last minute, then it meant that nobody really knew how long she was planning to stay for. And Killian didn't much feel like pulling another all-nighter just to get his work done on time.

When the usual alert started making its way around the base informing the team that an aircraft was coming into land, he didn't hesitate to stop what he was doing, grab his cap from the hook beside his office door, and make his way back outside. Killian had been a military man for long enough to know how these kinds of protocols worked, and the last thing he needed was a bollocking from Johnson because he hadn't been there on time to greet his Queen.

He wasn't stood for long under the warm Cypriot sun before the familiar sound of an approaching plane caught everyone's attention. Thanks to their strict training, the men and women on base kept their gazes away from the incoming aircraft and instead fixed on a point above the left shoulder of the person standing opposite them, as a large Airbus began approaching the runway.

* * *

"We'll be landing in a few moments, Your Majesty."

"Thank you." Emma lifted her head to offer Andrews a small smile before she returned her attention to her laptop screen. She saved the few documents she had open and quickly closed out of the applications before logging off the system and shutting down the device. It was the standard security procedure for all of the devices used by her team, and one that had become second nature to her over the years. When the laptop was securely tucked away, Emma buckled her seatbelt ready for landing as she watched the security team around her do the same thing.

The almost-five-hours they'd spent in the air had at least allowed her to get plenty done, but she knew that her unscheduled trip out of the country would leave her scrambling to make all of her commitments before the holidays. So Emma tried to keep Oliver's happy smile in mind every time her thoughts drifted towards the negatives. This would all be worth it to make dozens of kids happy, she told herself. She only hoped that their parents would be pleasantly surprised by her arrival and the gifts she had with her, instead of annoyed by the last-minute disruption to their usual schedules.

When the Airbus finally touched down at RAF Akrotiri, Emma excused herself to make use of the small private bedroom so that she could change for the occasion. She hated flying in heels and fancy dresses, but more than that, she knew if she stepped off the plane that morning with creases in her clothing her intentions for the day would be questioned by the royal reporters, who had been informed of the last-minute trip the night before.

So as her security team began the procedure of disembarking from the flight, Emma traded her comfortable leggings and hoody for a pair of black trousers, a simple white cotton vest, and a navy coloured military-inspired jacket. She released her hair from the low ponytail it had been pulled back into and ran a gentle brush through the strands before dropping into a seat to pull on her boots.

A sharp knock on the door preceded Leroy's words of, "They're ready for you now, Ma'am," just as Emma pushed herself back up to her feet.

"Thank you, Leroy. I'll be right out," she promised, as she gave her appearance one final look over in the mirror. It wasn't the smartest she'd ever been dressed, but considering that she would be spending her day on a military base, Emma didn't think she looked too bad.

When she finally left the small bedroom and made her way back out to the main space, she noticed that all of the cards and gifts had already been carried off the plane and that Leroy had the tablet loaded with the kids' video messages tucked safely under one of his arms, ready for later.

"After you, Your Majesty," he encouraged, stepping to one side so that Emma would exit the plane ahead of him.

The Queen took a moment just to allow the mask she always wore in public to drop down over her face before she moved confidently towards the open door.

* * *

**Queen Emma's look here is based on Jen's look for The Miracle Worker Photocall in January 2010. If you'd like to know what Killian's uniform looks like, you can find an image on the R****AF's website that was released to accompany an article about RAF Leeming being dispatched to RAF Akrotiri in 2018. Alternatively, you can find it on my Tumblr - Kymbersmith-90. **

**Thank you for sticking with me as I battle through my health issues. It'll be a little longer before I get back to something resembling a normal posting schedule - but I hope to get there as soon as I can. Please know I'm reading and appreciating every one of your reviews, even if replying to them is taking me longer than I'd like right now. **


	8. Chapter 7

Killian watched from the corner of his eye as the Airbus slowed to a stop where their greeting party was waiting. For a few long seconds, everything was silent until the clunk of the door opening met their ears, and the steps were slowly lowered down.

As one, the servicemen and women who had gathered to greet their Queen snapped to attention. Their legs came together and their backs straightened as they lifted their left hand to offer a salute to their Commander-in-Chief. Johnson was the first to break that pose when a woman with long blonde hair slowly approached him and extended her hand in greeting.

"Told ya she was hot," Liam whispered from the corner of his mouth.

Killian said nothing. The last thing he needed was to be caught showing any kind of disrespect for his Queen, but he had to admit that his brother was right. He'd been expecting her to be older than she looked. Sure, he'd known that Queen Emma was relatively young compared to her predecessor, who had passed away at the age of ninety-six. But he'd always assumed that she would be in her late forties, not her late twenties. After all, the stamps and notes had always depicted Queen Victoria II in her youth, so he had naturally assumed that Queen Emma had simply opted to follow with that tradition.

As his Queen made her way over to the first line of men and women waiting to greet her, everyone relaxed their stance and moved to clasp their hands together behind their backs. Killian watched on as she took a moment to offer her hand for shaking to every single person on the base. She wasn't close enough for him to hear what was being said, but there was definitely some kind of conversation passing between each individual and their Queen before she moved on to the next person. When she'd finally finished with the first line of servicemen and women and moved onto the second, Killian began to panic. Absolutely none of the training he'd received had ever prepared him for this moment, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do.

_How does one make small talk with the Queen of England?_

* * *

Taking her first step down and out of the plane was such a surreal moment for Emma. Every member of RAF Akrotiri that wasn't currently busy, had been lined up to salute her arrival. It was a sight that always left her feeling a little unworthy, and one that never failed to drive home the realness of her situation.

"Ma'am, this is Group Captain Johnson," Leroy introduced, as he steered her over to where a man in a white short-sleeved shirt, peeked cap and pressed black trousers was stood waiting to greet her.

"It's an honour to meet you," she told him, as she extended her hand for shaking. "Thank you so much for accommodating our arrival on such short notice."

"The pleasure is all ours, Your Majesty. The men and women here are very much looking forward to a day full of fun and laughter."

"Then I hope we can deliver on those expectations," she chuckled. "Shall we?"

Group Captain Johnson gestured for her to walk ahead of him, so Emma picked a side and began making her way down the line of people there, who were more than happy to introduce themselves to their Queen.

Each interaction was mostly the same, with some form of them thanking her for attending and Emma always offering her sincere thanks for their services and sacrifices. But she prided herself on taking the time to greet everyone who turned out to see her individually, and for Emma, this was even more important when it came to meeting members of her armed forces. These were people that had sacrificed so much for their country in her name, so as far as she was concerned, asking for _their _names was the least she could do.

Leroy didn't look too amused about the hour they spent under the Cypriot sun, greeting members of the airbase, but he knew better than to complain about it. Queen Emma would do whatever Queen Emma wanted to do. It was the way things had always been since she had ascended the throne.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Liam hissed at his brother, as their Queen made her way down the line towards where they were both stood.

"Isn't she a bit… young?" was all Killian could think to say.

His brother snorted out a laugh as he shook his head. It was a condescending action that Killian had seen many times before, whenever he'd said something Liam deemed stupid. And it was one that never failed to piss him off.

The two men fell silent as they watched Queen Emma interact with the rest of their colleagues before she finally stepped over to put herself in front of Liam.

"Squadron Leader Jones, Ma'am," Johnson introduced, as the Queen held out her hand for shaking.

"It's lovely to meet you, Squadron Leader Jones. Please allow me to thank you on behalf of your country for your service."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. And it's nice to meet you too," Liam replied confidently, before letting go of her hand and folding his own behind his back once more.

Killian had been expecting much the same thing from his interaction with the Queen, but when Johnson introduced him as, "Flight Lieutenant Jones," her eyes slid back to his brother for a brief moment before settling on his face again.

"Coincidence, or is that a family resemblance I can see in your features?" she asked.

Killian opened his mouth to respond to her question but Liam beat him to it, telling her, "He's my little brother."

"Younger," Killian threw back, before he could think it through. When his brain finally caught up he snapped his mouth shut in horror. He'd gotten so used to always correcting Liam in those situations that he'd reacted on instinct, and completely forgotten that the woman stood in front of him was his Queen.

But she didn't seem to mind too much, if the chuckles she released were anything to judge by. "I can see that's something that comes up often between you two," she remarked.

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty," he apologised. "I wasn't thinking."

"Don't be. It's not often that I'm involved in sibling banter these days, so thank you for giving me that experience once again. And thank you for your service, Lieutenant Jones. I'm glad you at least have someone here you can celebrate the upcoming holiday season with."

The Queen held out her hand for him to take and he gave it a firm shake before she moved on to the person standing beside him.

Killian held his breath until she was fully out of his line of sight, just to be sure that he wouldn't blurt out something else completely inappropriate. The moment he released it, his brother leaned in to elbow him none-too-gently in the ribs.

"_Can't say I've ever given it a great deal of thought," _Liam parroted back at him, in what was quite frankly an awful imitation of his brother's voice.

"Oh, fuck off."

* * *

**As a quick note, "Ma'am" should be pronounced with a short 'a' sound like you'd pronounce jam, and as we're British, "Lieutenant" is pronounced as "lef-tenant" (think Tom Mison's Ichabod Crane in the Sleepy Hollow TV series)**

**Thanks for being so patient with me while I battle these health issues. Hopefully once this next surgery is out of the way, I'll be a little more reliable**


	9. Chapter 8

When the Queen had finished greeting the troops that had gathered to meet her, Group Captain Johnson quickly ushered her inside the hanger that had been prepared for their impromptu party. The men and women on base gave her a couple of seconds head start before they began making their way into the space behind her. Festive music was already being pumped through the speaker system and Killian's superiors seemed to be encouraging everyone to mingle. As Liam made his way over to a free table in the corner, Killian grabbed a couple of the warm colas and a bowl of Doritos before joining his brother and a few of their friends.

"I hope Ollie's party was more enjoyable than this one is. I've seen more excitement at wakes before," Liam mumbled, cracking open his drink and taking a sip from it. He cringed as the warm liquid filled his mouth but forced himself to swallow it down. Liam _hated_ warm cola, but he'd certainly had worse on previous deployments.

"I wouldn't know. I got called in here before I could phone home and ask." Killian was still bitter about that fact, even if his interaction with the Queen had turned out to be more memorable than he'd expected. Between Elsa and Ollie's busy schedule and his own crazy working hours, it had been far too long since he'd spoken to his son.

"Grace seemed to enjoy it," Regina threw in, as she took a swig from a bottle of cold water she'd smuggled into the party. "She said that the Queen spent a lot of time with everyone there and that she was really nice to all of the kids."

"Ollie was probably too shy to talk to Queen Emma," Liam chuckled. He loved his nephew to pieces but the little boy was so painfully shy at times that it hurt his heart to watch him dodge conversation in social settings. "And I doubt that Elsa would have said anything unless the Queen had spoken to her first."

Killian nodded his agreement to those statements as he downed half of his drink in one mouthful.

Regina was the first person at their table to spot Johnson making his way onto the stage, and nudged the others to draw their attention to that fact. But it didn't take long for the rest of the men and women gathered in the hanger to notice and cease their conversations. They'd long since gotten used to the hierarchy of the Royal Air Force and everyone knew when silence was expected from them.

"Thank you," Johnson declared loudly, when he realised that he had the room's full attention. "Your Queen has a few words that she wishes to say."

Queen Emma made her way onto the stage to stand just in front of Johnson, and for a moment, Killian found the image a little jarring. He was so used to Johnson being the most senior officer on base, but he realised with a start that the young blonde outranked them all! She wasn't just his Queen, she was also his commanding officer.

"Thank you, Group Captain Johnson, and I want to thank all of you again for being here today," she began confidently, her voice carrying well across the space, even without a microphone. "I know that my visit wasn't planned and that you probably all had much better things to do today, but I'm hoping that you'll understand why I'm here in just a second." She paused for a moment and appeared to seek out one of her aides in the crowd, as she gave a subtle nod before continuing.

"Last weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying the company of some of your wonderful friends and family at a Christmas party held at Kensington Palace. During the party, one little boy, in particular, raised his concerns that the gift he'd been making for his father that afternoon wouldn't reach him before Christmas Day."

"That sounds like Oliver," Liam whispered, as Killian shot his brother a look that told him to be quiet. That definitely sounded like a concern Ollie would have, but Killian couldn't imagine his shy little boy voicing it to an _actual_ Queen.

"So we decided to make sure that his would," she added. "That they _all _would. My team is busy right now setting out all of the cards and gifts that your children have made for you. You'll find them on the tables against the back wall of the room. Please feel free to go and take the ones that have your names written on them. For those of you without children at the party, there are also cards and gifts waiting for you. We all agreed that nobody should have to miss out on the holidays. But before you go and collect everything, your children have one final gift they'd like me to share with you."

A large projector screen suddenly began to descend behind where the Queen was standing, and even without an explanation, the atmosphere in the hanger began to buzz.

"My team has spent their week putting together a small collection of videos the children recorded for you last weekend. You'll be able to request a copy of your child's full footage from my assistant, Leroy, before I leave this afternoon. But until then, please enjoy this montage that we've put together for you."

Killian could feel the entire atmosphere in the room shift again when the people inside of it realised that they'd be getting a chance to see their kids, even if it couldn't be in person. Suddenly, their little impromptu gathering felt more like a party as the excitement in the hanger began to build. Even those serving without children at home waiting for their return seemed happy to know that their friends and colleagues would get the greatest gift of all that morning.

Like everyone else in the hanger, Killian and Liam gave the projector screen their full attention to watch as some familiar faces appeared on it, wishing their parents a Merry Christmas and telling them just how much they were missed. But the longer the video played, the more deflated Killian began to feel.

Liam was the one to finally voice his concerns when the screen suddenly fell dark and the rest of the people inside of the hanger started making excited conversation amongst themselves once more.

"Where was Ollie's video?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **


	10. Chapter 9

"Well, you know Ollie…" Killian forced out a chuckle to mask his own pain at not getting the chance to see his little boy on the big screen that afternoon. Especially as it seemed like every other parenton the base had gotten a message from their child. "He was probably too shy to sit in front of a camera and deliver a message to a stranger. I'm sure he sent gifts instead."

Liam hoped like hell that his brother's instincts were right. This wasn't Killian's first deployment since he'd become a father, but this was the first time he'd made the difficult decision to leave Oliver behind. A video message from Ollie would have made Killian's day. Hell, it would have made Liam's. But hopefully there would be something waiting for them on that back table.

The Jones brothers decided to wait a moment before checking to see if Ollie had sent them anything. There was already a huge crowd of men and women around the tables, and the last thing anyone wanted was for a precious piece of artwork to be dropped or torn in the chaos.

By the time they made it to the back of the hanger, the table was mostly empty. But that didn't matter. Spotting Ollie's work was easy enough. The little boy had made both his uncle and his father handmade Christmas cards – one with a snowman on the front and the other with a large chubby penguin drawn on it. Inside, he'd written them both a sweet message telling them how much he missed them and wishing them a Merry Christmas. Both pieces had been signed by himself and Elsa too, making them absolutely perfect holiday gifts for Killian and Liam.

Under the cards, there were small hanging decorations to match the designs Ollie had drawn. The rest of the squad were already using theirs to decorate the large tree in the hanger, but Killian slid his into one of the pockets in his cargo pants. He knew that the communal tree would barely see any use after the Queen had left them that afternoon, and he wanted to keep Ollie's work close by.

He was just turning away from the table to head back over to where Liam was already proudly showing off his gifts to Regina and Robin when someone stepped up beside him.

"Lieutenant Jones, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. How uh… how may I be of assistance?" he asked, clasping his hands behind his back as he would when he addressed any of his superiors.

"It's more of what I can do for you," she replied cryptically, before inclining her head to the open doorway. "Do you mind following me?"

"Of course not," Killian assured her, as he fell into step just behind the young Queen while a number of men in dark suits took up positions behind him. He assumed they were a part of her security team, but it felt inappropriate to ask his Queen about them.

Queen Emma walked around the side of the hanger and out of view of anyone who would happen to walk past the building, before coming to a stop in a place where they could speak privately. Killian felt, more than he saw, the men in suits behind him fall back and his curiosity piqued at the action.

"I'm afraid there was a bit of a blunder last night," the Queen began gently, and his mind started racing with all of the many ways in which she could be concerned by a military blunder. "I had sent your son's video to my assistant with instructions to add it to the compilation that had been made, but he didn't see my message in time."

"I'm sorry, what now?" Killian asked, as his eyes moved from their spot just above her left shoulder, over to meet her own.

"Am I correct in believing that your son is Oliver Jones?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I recorded his video myself. He was a little intimidated by the man my team had selected to record them, so I offered to do his on my phone. It got missed off the end of the compilation we played this afternoon, I'm afraid."

"Oh uh… oh, that's fine," Killian assured her, because his mind was still stuck on the mental images it was busy throwing at him of his son talking with an _actual _Queen. "I'll call him tonight and hopefully speak to him then. That's good enough for me."

"So… you don't want to see the video then?" she teased, reaching into the pocket of her jacket to pull out an ordinary-looking iPhone.

"Oh! Oh God, I'm such an idiot," he blurted out, as he looked between the device in her hand and the small smile teasing the corners of her lips. "I thought you meant that I wouldn't get to see it at all."

"Oh no, Lieutenant Jones. I didn't fly all this way to make that little boy happy, only to have to return knowing I'd broken my promise to him." Queen Emma fiddled with the phone for a few seconds before she turned it around and offered it to the man standing a respectable distance in front of her. "You have a very sweet little boy, Lieutenant. You should be proud of him."

"I am," Killian assured her, taking the phone from her hand. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I just uh… I just wish I could be home with him. I mean, don't get me wrong," he rushed to assure her, as he lifted his head from the screen to meet her curious gaze. "I love my job. I just…"

"You miss your son," she finished for him. "You don't have to apologise for that and you certainly don't have to be ashamed of it, Lieutenant. If it were in my power to grant you the holidays together, please know that I would. But hopefully, that video will help to make things a little easier for you. I'll have someone email you a copy of it before I leave today."

The Queen took a step forward and then to the side, clearly intending to leave him alone to watch the message that Oliver had recorded for him. Killian panicked for a brief moment, worried that he'd be left alone with the Queen's personal phone and somehow end up doing something catastrophic. But even when she disappeared from sight, one of her men remained a short distance away from him. So he pushed his worries aside and turned his attention back down to the device in his hand to hit play on the recording.

"_Hi, Daddy," _Oliver called out cheerfully, as he waved for the camera while his little legs swung back and forth with his excitement. Unlike the other kids in the video that had been played in the hanger, Oliver wasn't stood in front of a plain white wall. Instead, he was sat on a huge red chair in front of a wall that looked vaguely familiar.

"_Merry Christmas!" _Ollie added excitedly_. "I'm at Kenton… Kennin…" _

Queen Emma's voice suddenly rang out clearly to declare, _"Kensington Palace," _and it had Killian chuckling a little, even as he bit down on his bottom lip to tame the emotions bubbling away in his chest. When the Queen had said that she'd recorded Oliver's video for him, he hadn't expected her to actually be the one holding the camera.

"_Yeah. There," _Oliver agreed, before rushing to add, _"Aunt Elsa said the Queen invited us to a party. Jack said it was a lie but he was wrong, cuz she's really here, Daddy. And she's really pretty." _

Killian chuckled again at his son's unfiltered enthusiasm. He'd never seen Ollie so relaxed around a stranger before, and he wondered just how much time Queen Emma had spent with Oliver to make him feel that comfortable in her presence. Killian was a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to witness the two of them together in person, but that disappointment was soon forgotten when Queen Emma adjusted the focus on the video, to zoom in a little closer on Ollie's face.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **


	11. Chapter 10

Killian watched the video of his little boy three times over before he made his way back to where one of the Queen's assistants was waiting for him. After helping the man to email the video across to himself, and checking that he'd actually received it, he finally headed back to the party with a small spring in his step.

"Where did you disappear to?" Liam asked, when he saw his brother approach their table once more.

"I was just dealing with something that came up unexpectedly," Killian lied. For some reason, he wasn't quite ready to share his video of Oliver with anyone else. It had been four months since he'd last seen his son in person, and he wanted to keep that one small connection he had with Oliver to himself, just for the rest of the day.

"Well, Her Majesty appears to be staying for a while. She's making conversation with everyone as she works her way around the room. So I don't think we'll be doing much else for the rest of the day."

Killian shrugged his shoulders as he reached for another warm can of cola. He knew that given their positions within their companies it was highly unlikely that both he and Liam wouldn't be expected to do anything else for the rest of the day. But he was glad that the men and women that worked under their command were getting some time off to relax and enjoy themselves. That didn't often happen on operational tours and active deployments.

* * *

It was well over an hour later when Killian felt a presence just behind himself. He'd been mid-conversation with Regina and Liam about something that had happened last week while he and his team were out on duty when their laughter had suddenly ceased. He didn't need to turn around to see who had caused that reaction. There was only one person on base that afternoon who could provoke such a response.

"Did you get that video sent over safely, Lieutenant Jones?"

"I did, thank you, Ma'am," he replied awkwardly, before standing to offer his Queen a stiff bow and then his seat. She declined the offer with a simple shake of her head, but Killian wasn't sure if that meant he should sit back down again or if he should remain standing. So he chose to remain standing.

"Again, I can't apologise enough for having missed off Oliver's video. I'd imagine that was an incredibly disheartening moment for you, Lieutenant. And we truly never intended for anyone to feel that way during our visit."

"It's fine, Ma'am," Killian assured her. As far as he was concerned, all had been forgiven the moment she'd pulled him aside to let him view Ollie's message privately. "Just knowing that he's okay more than makes up for it."

"He seemed to be doing well when I spoke with him. He's a little shy but by the end of the day I'd gotten a few hugs from him, and he seemed pretty content to share his new toys with another little boy he'd met at the party."

"You got a hug from Oliver?" Liam threw in, and Killian shot his brother a look that clearly screamed _what the hell are you doing? _

"I believe I ended the day with three," the Queen replied, somewhat smugly.

"Wow! It took Elsa _years_ to get her first hug from Ollie. He must really like you, Your Majesty."

The Queen offered Liam a soft smile of appreciation at his words but didn't go on to explain anything more about her time with his nephew. She figured that either Oliver or Elsa would be able to do that when they next got the chance to speak with the Jones brothers. And she didn't want to deprive either of them of that special moment.

"So, what do your roles here involve?" she asked instead, as she shifted a little beside Lieutenant Jones to bring herself closer to the group.

Liam suddenly felt incredibly awkward being sat down while his Queen was still standing. He could understand now why his brother hadn't bothered to take his seat again when the Queen had politely declined Killian's offer.

* * *

"Jones! With me," Johnson snapped, as he saw Killian round one of the corridors on the way back from his office. He'd escaped the party for a few moments just to check his messages and store Ollie's gifts away safely. But as usual, he couldn't seem to make it down a hallway without someone calling out for him.

"Sir?" he asked, approaching his superior and folding his hands together behind his back.

"Her Majesty has requested a tour of our facilities here before she leaves today, given that it's her first time on base. She's also requested that _you _be the one to give it to her, Jones."

"Me, Sir? Why me?" Killian knew that he wasn't exactly a rookie on the job, but there were still plenty of people on the base who outranked him, including Johnson and his brother.

"You'd have to ask her that," Johnson snapped back. "I'm just following orders from our Commander-in-Chief. You'd be wise to do the same."

"Yes, Sir," he agreed, because deep down Killian knew that it didn't really matter why the Queen had asked for him. She was his superior and as such, he was expected to follow her orders – just like he would if Liam or Johnson had issued them. The only difference was that the Queen happened to be a damned sight prettier than his brother and their boss.

"Where is Her Majesty now?" he asked.

"Still in the hanger, awaiting your arrival."

"I'm on my way there now," Killian assured him, before lowering his head as he slipped past Johnson and headed back to the party. He had a feeling that Johnson was a little put out that Her Majesty hadn't asked _him _to give her a tour of the facilities. Which meant that Killian was probably going to be paying for that for the rest of his operational tour. And even if Johnson didn't end up holding her request against him, Killian knew that Liam would never let it go when he found out that their Queen had specifically requested his little brother for the tour.

He only hoped that he could make it through the rest of the day without doing anything embarrassing while they were together. Because Killian wasn't sure he could survive another two months on base, constantly being teased by the people he thought of as extended family, if something humiliating happened that afternoon.

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	12. Chapter 11

"Your Majesty," Killian greeted, as he and Johnson made their way over to where the Queen was standing, already waiting for them.

"Lieutenant Jones," she returned, before nodding her head at Johnson in a way that clearly communicated the other man was being dismissed. "I was wondering if you'd mind accompanying me on a tour of the base?"

"Not at all," Killian assured her, folding his arms behind his back as he allowed her to take those first few steps toward the entrance of the hanger. He wasn't entirely sure if he should be the one to lead the tour or if he should allow her to do so, given that she outranked him. Killian was so lost trying to work out what protocol would dictate for such a situation that he was a little surprised when the Queen turned back to the men in suits following them both and said, "I'm certain that Lieutenant Jones is more than capable of keeping me safe on base. Leave us be."

The commanding tone her voice carried left absolutely no room for arguments from anyone, but it was having a completely unexpected effect on Killian. He'd encountered many women in positions of power throughout his time with the Royal Air Force. But none had ever made it look and feel quite as effortless as Queen Emma did. And he wasn't expecting that to be as arousing as it was.

When they were finally alone and a good distance away from the hanger the party was being held in, the Queen fell into step beside Killian, and he took that as his cue on how to conduct the rest of their tour. If she felt comfortable walking beside him, he could at least take the lead and steer her towards the more interesting parts of the airbase.

Killian intended to start their tour with a look at some of the fighter jets that they housed on the base. The aircraft was usually the part people were most eager to see, and they never failed to help with breaking the ice. But Queen Emma apparently needed no such help to initiate a conversation.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I requested _you_ for this tour, Lieutenant?"

"I uh…" The truth was that Killian _had _been planning to ask that question eventually. He just wasn't entirely sure how to go about phrasing it in a way that didn't sound offensive. "I was going to," he finally admitted, after a moment of awkward silence.

The Queen hummed a little at his words but didn't provide him with an answer. Instead, she asked, "Tell me a little about your life here on base. Why didn't you bring your son with you?"

Killian stopped walking for a moment to turn and stare at his Queen in shock, but her steps didn't falter.

"Oliver's settled back home," he eventually replied, after jogging a little to catch up with her again. "It takes him a while to build up the confidence to confide in others enough to make friends. I didn't want to unsettle him just to bring him out to Cyprus for a few months and then have to go through the process of trying to resettle him when we returned."

The Queen made that humming sound again and Killian had no idea how he was supposed to interpret it. But she didn't give him long to dwell upon it. They had already approached one of the other large hangers on base, and the doors were wide open, showing off the jet that had been parked inside of it. As he had expected, the aircraft seemed to steal most of Her Majesty's attention away from him.

"Can we take a look at the plane?" she eventually asked, inclining her head in its direction.

"Sure," Killian agreed, before he hesitantly added, "But it's uh… it's a fighter jet, Ma'am. We prefer not to use the term 'plane' for the aircraft used here."

Queen Emma finally turned away from the hanger in front of her to fix Killian with a look that had him squirming a little in place. While he didn't know her well, he was pretty sure that he could detect a slight hint of amusement at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, really? And why is that?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest to offer the man her full attention. Killian kind of wished she hadn't. The Queen had one of the most intense stares he'd ever encountered in his lifetime.

"Plane is often associated more with commercial use, Ma'am. We uh… a lot of civilians feel uncomfortable with its use in a military setting."

The Queen continued to stare at him for the longest moment and Killian was starting to worry that he'd said something wrong. But before he could apologise for whatever it was that he'd done to offend her, Queen Emma's stance softened and she gave a gentle nod of her head. "I suppose that makes sense," she agreed, before turning back around to head inside the hanger.

Killian released a hefty sigh of relief as she did before he followed after her.

He watched from a safe distance as Queen Emma made her way around the jet slowly, taking in the size of the aircraft and the different functions she could see that were a part of its design. When she was back at the nose once more, she turned to Killian with a somewhat mischievous smile and asked, "Can I sit in it?"

"Oh, uh…" Killian's head turned left and then right as he scanned the space for a set of portable stairs they used for such occasions, and when his gaze finally caught on one, he turned back to offer his Queen a small smile. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll be right back."

It proved harder to move the staircase on his own than it did when a small team of people was usually involved in preparing a craft for flight. However, Killian soon managed to find the right angle to push it at to get it to roll across the concrete floor, and over to where the pilot's hatch was located on the aircraft.

After making sure the staircase was firmly fixed in place and wouldn't roll away while they were both climbing it, Killian turned to one side and held out a hand in silent invitation to his Queen.

"Carefully, Ma'am. We wouldn't want you to fall," he instructed, as he watched her begin to climb the steps. Killian told himself to wait and give her some space to make the climb, as the last thing he wanted to do was crowd her. But he also didn't want her to trip and hurt herself, so he allowed his eyes to follow her form as she made her way up each of the steps.

He had just stepped onto the bottom rung to begin his own climb when his gaze caught on the way the Queen's jeans tightened over her backside every time she lifted her leg. The movement was almost hypnotic, and for just a brief moment he forgot where he was, what he was doing and, most importantly, who he was with. That was until a voice called down to him, "Are you quite finished staring at my arse, Lieutenant Jones?"

"Oh, God. I am… I am so sorry, Your Majesty," he rushed to apologise, as he quickly lifted his eyes to meet her stare. He'd been expecting to see disgust and horror on his Queen's face when he did, but that touch of amusement seemed to be dancing around the corners of her eyes once more, and he felt himself relaxing a little at the sight of it. "I uh… I wish I had an excuse for my actions but… I don't."

"It's quite alright, Lieutenant. You're not the only person in this hanger who's been hypnotised by the sway of a pretty arse before," she told him, and then gestured to the jet just behind her. "Now… how do I get into this thing?"

"Allow me, Ma'am." Killian took the steps two at a time to get to the Queen's side as quickly as he could. He offered her another apologetic smile and then stepped as far to the side as the small platform would allow, to lean around her and open the hatch. When he pulled back, the length of his body brushed against the side of hers in a way that Killian hadn't felt in far too long, and it did absolutely nothing to help the growing attraction that was building inside of him for his Commander-in-Chief.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she said, stepping past him to peer down into the cockpit of the craft.

Killian took a step back and watched as his Queen surveyed her surroundings for a moment, clearly looking for the easiest way down. He didn't hesitate to step up and offer her his hand when he realised just how difficult it would be for the slight woman to climb in gracefully.

"Carefully now, Ma'am," Killian instructed, when she placed her hand into his and tightened her grip on his palm. "There are a lot of expensive and delicate electronics inside the cockpit, so try not to clip anything with the heel of your boots."

Queen Emma threw a quick disapproving look at him over her shoulder before she turned her attention back to the craft. She carefully lifted her right leg over the edge of the jet and placed it down just as cautiously inside of the small space.

"Would you take the blame for me if I damaged anything, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied without hesitation. Because even if their Queen did end up damaging an expensive piece of technology, Killian knew he would face the wrath of his superiors for being the person present when she caused the damage.

"That's sweet of you, Lieutenant. But I would never ask you to do that," she assured him, before carefully lifting her left leg and placing it back down beside her right. As she let go of his hand, the Queen turned back to give him a small teasing smile and then added, "Besides, unlike some people in this room, I actually pay attention to what's going on around me."

Killian's face flushed bright red when he caught onto her meaning, but thankfully, Her Majesty was already distracted with easing herself down into the pilot's seat and taking in the console in front of her.

"Well… this is cosy," she eventually remarked, before flashing another look up to the man peering down at her. "How do I look, Lieutenant?"

"Every inch the commander of our forces, Ma'am," he replied, allowing a smile to brighten his face at the Queen's look of utter delight upon hearing those words.

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**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**For those of you who don't know, I'm going through some difficult times personally at the moment both with my health and in my private life, so I'm afraid updates will remain sporadic for the time being because I just don't have the time or energy to dedicate to my fandom life right now.**


	13. Chapter 12

"So, what made you decide to join the RAF?" Queen Emma asked, as they made their way past a few of the locked hangers on base.

"My brother," Killian replied honestly. "Our mother died when we were young and as soon as Liam was old enough to take care of us both, our dad bailed. I guess being a single parent didn't appeal to him. So I grew up kind of idolising my brother. When Liam announced that he was joining the RAF, I was a little conflicted at first. I thought he was only doing it to get away from me, but he explained how this was always something he'd wanted to do. He'd had one of those taster sessions in high school and it had stuck with him. He'd never wanted to do anything else. And then, when I left school, it just felt right to follow him, you know? He'd never really lead me astray before, so I trusted he wouldn't then either."

"Did you consider leaving when Oliver was born?"

Killian turned towards the Queen at her question but he couldn't find an ounce of judgement on her face. Just plain old curiosity.

"I did," he admitted honestly. "I don't enjoy being away from my son. I don't think any parent does. But the RAF provides us with a stable income. It pays for the clothes he wears and the food he eats. It helps cover the cost of our home and our bills. So while I might not enjoy being away from him, it's better than the uncertainty of quitting and not knowing where his next meal will come from."

Queen Emma nodded her head in understanding even though Killian doubted she'd ever had to worry about money, or where her next meal would come from, throughout her lifetime.

"I think that was a very wise and mature decision to have made," she told him.

"Yeah, well… I just hope Ollie doesn't grow up hating me for it."

"He won't. And he certainly doesn't right now. When he was told how proud you'd be of him he was beaming with happiness. I'd never seen anything quite like it before. You have a wonderful child, Lieutenant Jones. And I'm certain that's a reflection of your relationship with him."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Killian toed at the ground beneath them to try and hide the blush her words were sure to have brought to his face. Coming from his Queen, they seemed to have far more effect than whenever his brother said the same thing. "I'm uh… I hope I'm not overstepping when I say that I'm sure your parents would be very proud of you too, Ma'am. Oliver seemed incredibly taken with you in that video, and I've learned that my son is an excellent judge of character."

There was a brief flash of something behind the Queen's eyes as she offered Killian a small smile, but it was gone and her mask of neutrality was back in place before he could work out what that something was. "Thank you," was all she said, before she turned the conversation back around to him. "Your son was very adamant that you and I would get along well when I met him. It seems he was correct about that. And judging by your reaction back at the jet, he was also correct about something else," she added, a teasing smirk lighting up her face.

Killian flushed again as he realised what she was hinting at. He could practically hear his son's words ringing through his mind at that moment.

"_She's really pretty."_

"Aye, Ma'am," he reluctantly admitted, because there really was no use in denying that.

"So, what haven't we seen yet?" she asked, as the large hanger the party was being held in came back into view. It looked like Killian's colleagues were making the most of their afternoon off duty as he could see plenty of dancing taking place, even from a distance.

"I uh… I think there's really only the offices left to go, Ma'am. But they're not terribly exciting."

"Would you be prepared to show me yours?" she wondered.

"Aye, Ma'am."

"Then please lead the way, Lieutenant. While they may not be as exciting as a fighter jet, I'm sure they'll be informative. And I should probably take some kind of useful knowledge back home with me this evening. We don't want the Prime Minister to start accusing me of using working time to holiday, do we?"

"If I may be as bold as to say so, Ma'am… the Prime Minister is an arse," Killian offered - because how could anyone ever think it was acceptable to disrespect the Queen in such a way? She might not have been performing a task vital to the British economy that afternoon, but she'd certainly raised the spirits of every man and woman on base. And with the holidays rapidly approaching, Killian knew that was the best gift any of them could possibly have received.

Her Majesty chuckled a little at Killian's words. "If I say something now, it will stay between us, right, Lieutenant Jones?"

"Of course, Ma'am."

"Then yes! Yes, he is," she agreed, and Killian let loose a sharp bark of laughter.

He'd only just managed to calm himself down as he came to the main entrance of their base of operations. Killian swiped his pass over the reader on the door and then pulled it open for his Queen to enter the building ahead of him.

"We uh… we usually ask our guests to sign in at reception," he told her, before admitting, "But I'm not entirely sure if that protocol should apply to you, Ma'am."

"If that's your usual procedure then I'm happy to follow it," she assured him. "I understand the need for tight security on base. And the last thing I'd want to do is get you in trouble, Lieutenant Jones."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

It didn't take Killian long to fill out the visitors' paperwork. He skipped over all of the usual details in favour of just listing the woman stood next to him as 'The Queen'. He figured the rest would be pretty self-explanatory.

"I'm afraid you'd need to wear this," he told her, offering out a standard ID badge that would designate her as a visitor on the base. Queen Emma didn't hesitate to take it from him and clip it to the breast pocket of her jacket. "And um.. could I just get you to sign this?" Killian wasn't entirely sure if Queens did such things, but once again, Her Majesty didn't hesitate to take the pen he was offering and elegantly write _Emma R_ in the space beside where he'd already printed her title.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

With all of the paperwork filled out, Killian swiped his access badge over another reader by the next set of doors and then held one open to allow the Queen to slip through ahead of him again.

"This way, Ma'am," he instructed, as he began the familiar walk towards his own little office. "If I may ask, Ma'am, why did you print the letter R after your name?"

"It's an old tradition," she explained. "In my case, the R stands for Regina, which is Latin for Queen. If I were a man, it would stand for Rex, which is the Latin translation of King."

"Thank you, Ma'am. I've learned something new today," he chuckled, holding open another set of doors for her to slip through.

"That seems only fair, Lieutenant. You've taught me quite a bit today yourself."

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	14. Chapter 13

Killian slowed their walk as they began approaching the main offices on base. The walls had been lined with pictures and information about the regiments and officers that had served at RAF Akrotiri, and Queen Emma seemed to be fascinated by the information that was presented on them.

"Do you and your brother participate in any of these?" she asked, as she pointed to a board that had been dedicated to achievements made outside of their work. There were awards for football teams and marathon runners, along with certificates for music and dance.

"We used to," Killian told her. "But not so much anymore. Liam complains that he's getting uh –"

Queen Emma raised a brow at him in question and Killian sighed as he realised that he'd set himself up for problems with his choice of words.

"His uh… his exact words are that he's 'getting too old for that shit,' if you'll pardon my language, Ma'am."

Queen Emma snorted out a laugh that was very un-ladylike. "I've heard worse than that, Lieutenant. In fact, I've spoken worse than that before. Please don't feel like you need to walk on eggshells around me. While I appreciate being addressed with respect when I'm out on engagements such as these, I also appreciate being treated like a normal person. Believe it or not, that doesn't happen often in my life."

"I can imagine."

Killian didn't know much about the royal family – it wasn't something he'd ever really had an interest in before – but he knew all about Queen Emma's past and her coronation. He was pretty sure there wasn't anyone in the world who didn't know the tragedy of Queen Emma's ascension to the throne. As if being born royal hadn't made things difficult enough for her, the way she'd come to power would definitely have left her feeling the abnormality of her position more than any of her predecessors. So he could certainly understand why she longed for some sort of normalcy in her life.

"How old is your brother?" she suddenly asked, almost like she could sense where Killian's thoughts had gone, and she wanted to steer the conversation away from her past before it could even begin.

"He's uh… he's four years older than me," Killian explained. "So he turned twenty-nine this year."

"When you see him again, tell him that the age excuse doesn't work," she chuckled. "I'm older than you both and I ran a marathon a few months ago for charity."

Killian barked out a laugh as he considered how well that would go over with his brother. Knowing Liam, he'd find some other excuse to explain away his lack of sportiness. "I will do, Ma'am," Killian assured his Queen.

"And what's your excuse, Lieutenant?"

"Oh, uh… I um… I tend to do more stuff with Oliver when I'm not working. He gets all of my attention in our free time."

Queen Emma nodded her head in understanding and allowed Killian's explanation to sit between them while she continued moving on to the next wall of information.

"I guess that's more acceptable," she finally responded. "I can see why you'd want to devote your time to him. He's a wonderful child and clearly a credit to your parenting skills."

Killian felt the tips of his ears heat up as he turned his attention down to his boots. "Thank you, Ma'am."

"Feel free to tell me if I'm overstepping here but… may I ask about his mother?"

Killian had been expecting that question. It was the one that often came up the moment people found out that he was a single father, but it wasn't a story he enjoyed telling.

"Of course, Ma'am."

"Did she pass away?"

He shook his head sadly even as a wry smile crossed his face. That always seemed to be everyone else's assumption too. "No, Ma'am. She uh… she's still very much alive. Or at least, she was the last time I saw her."

"I'm so sorry," Queen Emma offered. "Elsa insinuated that she wasn't around so I guess I jumped to conclusions there."

"She's not in the picture," Killian agreed. "She um… Oliver was an accident, as horrible as that sounds. He was the result of a drunken night of fun at the end of our first deployment, and I hadn't been seeing his mother for very long at the time. We were in Afghanistan when we first started hooking up so we hadn't even been on a proper date. When she found out that she was pregnant, she said she wanted to keep the baby, and I was more than happy for her to do that. I didn't feel ready to be a father but I wasn't going to tell her what to do with her body," he explained. "Then things between us changed. I guess being home and away from an active warzone kind of changes you both, and we started drifting apart. We were still together but I don't think either of us was happy in our relationship. And then Oliver came along. For those first few days, I thought he would change everything. But I woke up four weeks after his birth and she was gone. _Everything_ was gone. I've only seen her once since then – when she signed away her parental rights. I thought maybe she'd want to see her son – but she didn't. Oliver's never met his mother and I can't help thinking that's for the best. This way – at least he doesn't know what he's missing out on."

Killian hadn't realised that Queen Emma had taken a step away from the walls and closer to him, until she reached out to rest a gentle hand on his arm, just above his elbow. "I'm sorry to hear that. It's most definitely her loss, Lieutenant. Oliver is a wonderful child who clearly has a lot of love in his life. You should be very proud of him. After all, I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the impression he made upon me."

Killian raised his eyes to meet the Queen's and was shocked by just how warm and deep they were. They reminded him a little of the emerald stones that were set into the necklace his mother always used to wear, before she passed away. The Queen's eyes were so beguiling that he almost forget what they'd been talking about.

_Almost! _

"What uh… what do you mean, Ma'am?"

"Oliver's the child who inspired our journey out here today. He was devastated that he wouldn't be able to send his card and gifts to you in time for Christmas, and I just couldn't stand seeing him so upset. So… here we are."

Killian barked out a laugh at Queen Emma's confession. He could definitely understand why she'd felt that way. Nobody pulled off the wounded-puppy-dog-face quite like his son did. "Yeah, I feel you there, Ma'am," he chuckled. "I've done many a thing I hadn't planned to do before just to see my son smile."

"And that, Lieutenant Jones, is exactly why you're a wonderful father."

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